Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Cartia.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I had spent almost all of my 20’s as a local DJ and music producer in the Dallas dance music scene. This was between the years of 2007-2017. I played lots of local gigs, and several out of state performances at night clubs and festivals. It was around 2017 that I had a lot of personal things going on in my life that eventually put music to a halt so I could focus on priorities. I was traveling a lot for a job I had at the time and thought it would be really cool to have a solid camera to take with me while I was on these business trips. I had always taken photos with my iPhone but realized the night shots were super grainy. I started to research higher-end cameras and decided to get a Nikon D500 and a tripod. I was blown away by the high-quality images and sharpness it produced. After learning about some long exposer techniques, I continued to experiment around lots of downtown and suburban areas. Especially growing up in Dallas, which has the best skyline in the world in my opinion, I was always drawn to architecture. Photographing the city lights at night was something that always sparked my interest and kept me searching for great spots around the city to shoot. Dallas has so many iconic landmarks; it makes it super fun to explore the city for different angles and perspectives. I’ve truly been enjoying the experience of photographing the cityscapes and architecture and packing the camera with me when I travel.
Please tell us about your art.
I really just want to show the views of my hometown of Dallas, as well as other beautiful cities, from a different perspective. So many people drive through their own hometowns and not think twice about how amazing the city they live in is. The lights, the architecture, the environment, are all often times overlooked in our everyday lives because we have so much else on our minds every day. When you really stop to take a moment to appreciate the urban jungle around you, and how amazing it is, it really puts things in a different perspective and gives you an appreciation for what surrounds you.
As an artist, how do you define success and what quality or characteristic do you feel is essential to success as an artist?
Success in terms of art is purely subjective, and it should be. Art, whether it’s music, photography, painting, dance, or any other form should be made for yourself first and foremost. If you aren’t excited with your own work, how do you expect others to be? You have to make art for yourself and really love it for yourself. If you challenge yourself to create and stay motivated each day, you can be a success. Proving to yourself you are capable of accomplishing something that you’ve only seen others do, and always wanted to do yourself, is a success. I think you need to follow your passions, and if you focus on that solely, the future possibilities are endless.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
I’m on Instagram all the time @djjoec and love to network with people who are like minded. I also have a website of my portfolio https://cartiaphotography.zenfolio.com and can be reached on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/cartiaphoto and really appreciate all the support of my family and friends.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cartiaphotography.zenfolio.com
- Email: cartiaphoto@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djjoec/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cartiaphoto/
Image Credit:
Joe Cartia
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